Thomas midgley



T. MIDGLEY, JR. Hvnnomma.

APPLICATION FILED IAN- IO. 1916 Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

THOMAS MIDGLEY, JR., OF LANCASTER, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO DELCO-LIGHT COMPANY, OE' DAYTON, OHIO, .A CORPORATION OF DELAVJARE.

HYDROMETER.

Application led January 10, 1916.

Be it known that l. THOMAS Minoiinv, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing; at Lancaster, in the county of Fairfield and State ot Ohio, have invented certain new and uset'ul Improvements in Hydroineters, of which the following is a specification.

This iniientioni'elates to hydrometei's and is intended to he of such construction as to particularly adapt itself for use hy motorists and the like.

The essential object of my invention is in the construction of a hyd'romcter which may he easily and conveniently carried either upon the person ofthe motorist or in the vcliicle where it will be oli ready access in case itis desired to determine the density ot a new purchase ol? gasoline. As is well known, there are various gfjrades of gasoline now on saleand it. .is oftentimes desirable hat the motorist shall determine to his own satisfaction that he is purchasing goods as they are represented to he.

These objects T accomplish witlithc structure shown in the arcon'ipanying sheet ot drawings, in which similar cliaractei's ot reference designate corresponding` parts, and in which:

Figure l is a general tace vi ew of my iinproved type of hydrometer, and,

Figure 2 shows an' application of my invention.

ln these drawings, there are shown a pliiality ot indicator elements l, preterahly in the shape ofheadsand all mounted upon cord or other flexible member These heads are all preferably evenly spaced on the cordand are themselves of differet densities. ln fact, their constituencvi such that Q the one desi;` ated a, for instance, is of weight such that when its weight is combined with the weight of all tl` V,lowef elements plus the cord weight in given liquid, it will indicate a density otV By this l mean that the weights of the heads below the one which floats must be taken into consideration. It is evident from this that no one bead above the lowest one on the cord, will, if acting alone, give a correct indication of the density, but that its action and those 'of all the lower heads are mutually depend ent upon one another. With my invention, the motorist may readily determine the density olE the gasoline he is purchasing il this Specification of Letters Patent.

,.atented Apr. .18, 1922.

Serial No. 71,171.

density is measured hy the last bead which loats and is next tothe last bead wliich sinks in the gasoline in which it is placed. Thus, it the heads designated (30 to 68, inclusive, float while heads 57, 5S, sink the density ivoiild he G0. 0n the other hand, if, as illustrated in Fig'. 2, the heads GS to 68 float, while the" others sinh. the density ot this quantity of gasoline will be 63.

In the ahove description, it will he undertliat the head which indicates the correct density is the head which floats just above the lirst submerged head.

While, as has heen explained, certain heads 'indicate the density ol the liquid. it will be understood that the numerals applied to the successive heads as shown in Figs. land 2, are those ot the Baume scale. .is well known, this scale, which is an arbitrary one, is the hydroinetric scale in coniinon use in the oil industry. To determine the true specific gravity oit the liquid tested it is, of course. necessary to refer to a conversion table, thoi'iefh :for ordinaryY pui-poses the inol'oi-ist 'is interested only iii the density :is ,given on the arliiti'ary scale to which. lie is accustomed. rlhe nin'ncrals applied to the beads in the drawings are used merely for illustrative purposes, and it will he understood that the heads maybe graduated according to any arbitrary scale other than the one mentioned, or to indicate rspecific gravities directly.

From the foregoing. it will be apparent that l have provided i type of hy nnetei' ich maj/if' he chenA d manufacti ed and which may he further easily transported, in that it may he conveniently placed in any pockets ot the operator, or may he any desirable locality in the vel Further, a great amountv of care is not necessary in its handling, since there are no parts to hreal.

The hydronieter herein shoii'n and desciihed may he termed a. liiill-llloating,v hy* drometei, hy which l mean. a liydroinetei.` that is normally freely floating' at all points and is not dependent ttor its indications upon any particular relationA of the liquid-containing vessel to the hydrometer, or upon any particular depth of liquid, the only requirement being that the liquid being measured be of sufficient depth to permit the hydrometer to float 4Freely without having' its sul merged parts supported in any Way by the liquid-c nitaining vessel.

llVhilc l have described and shown a preferred forni ot one embodiment oli my present invention, it will be understood that detailed changes in structure and location may be made without departing 'from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What I claim, is:

l. A full-fioatinfr hydrometer comprising a plurality of indicator elements of dii'- ferent specific gravity and arranged in the orderof theirr specific gravities and means for flexibly connecting said indicator ele ments together, said hydrometer being adapted for operation at all times inde pendently of the vessel containing the liquid to be measured.

2. A hydrometer comprising a plurality of indicator elements or different specific Vgravity and arranged in the order of their specific gravities and means for iiexibly connecting said indicator elements together, said indicator elements bearing indicia whereby to indicate by their position the density of the liquid in which the hydrometer is placed.

Y 3. A hydrometer comprising a plurality of indicator elements bearing indicia, means for flexibly connecting said elements to-v gether, each succeeding element being of such constituency that, when floating and all of the preceding -elements submerged, these submerged elements Will cooperate t0- gether with the next succeeding floating elements to control the indication oil the density of a liquid in which the hydrometer is placed. 4. A hydrometer comprising a plurality of indicator elements registering diil'erent specific'gravities, and a flexible member to Which all of said elements are connected, each succeeding element indicating a lower specific gravity, being of such constituency that When floating in a liquid, and all the preceding elements submerged, the submerged elements will cooperate together Y with the next succeeding iioating element to controlV the indication of the speciiie gravity of the liquid.

5. A hydrometer including a plurality of indicating elements of diiierent specific gravities, and means for interconnecting said elements, so that the Weight of the ele# ments as they successively sink in a liquid will be accumulative in eii'ect upon the ele-- ment which floats and is next in order to the anni last clement which sinks whereby to iudic/ate the density of the liquid.

6. A hydrometer comprising a plurality oit indicating elements of diiierent specific graif'ity and a iiexible connecting member, said indicating elements being arranged at equal intervals on said iiexible connecting member and in the order of their specific gravity.

.7. A iulldioating hydrometer comprising a plurality oit indicator' elements of dif- Vierent speciiic gravities, and means tor flexibly connecting said elements together, said indicator elements and connecting means being adapted For operation at all times independently oi the vessel containing the liquid to be i'neasured. I

8. A flexible hydrometer adapted to float upon the suriace'of a liquid comprising a plurality of indicator elements, one of said indicator elements being of a density at least as great as that of the liquid, `theremaining elements being of such buoyancy as toindicate, by the number et' submerged elements, the specific gravity of the liquid, and means 'for flexibly securing said indicator elements together.

9. A flexible hydrometer adapted to float upon the sur-face of a liquid comprising a plurality ci? indicator elements, one of' said indicator elements being of aV density at least as great as that of the liquid, the remaining elements being of successively increasing buoyancy se as to indicate by a successive increase in Jthe number of submerged elements successive decrements in the specilic gravity oi the liquid, and means for Hexibly securing said indicator elements toq gether. y

l0. A hydrometer adapted to float in a liquid, comprising a plurality of indicator elements, one of said indicator elements having a density at least as great as thatof the liquid, means for flexibly connecting said indicator elements together whereby to render their action mutually dependent, said hydrometer being adapted for operation at all times independently of the vessel con the liquidto be measuredc ln testimony whereof I affix signature in presence of tivo witnesses.

'rnoiias Minennr, n.

'ill'itnesses WALTER E, L. Boon, A. L. PHELPS. 

